The Defeatist

by Sophie Bowns

Sometimes you don’t realise the mess you’ve made until you hit rock bottom. My life is a car crash, and the only person I can blame is myself. I was the reason that my parents broke up, and I ruined my own chances of happiness. I’m not proud of what I’ve done, and worst of all I hate the person I’ve become. My name is Jude Reed, and when I arrived, I was helpless and alone.
Then I met Tiffany and everything changed.

302 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 19, 2015

Reviews

[Kelly Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, I love the cover of this book! The Defeatist followed the story of a troubled man, but believe me when I say this novel has a twist. You will enter into the story with a bang, and Bowns' straight-forward and engaging writing will have you hooked to the end.
Despite the title and main plot of this story, Bowns has managed to inject enough humour to keep her character's story as light as possible, leaving you uplifted. Though I have to say my absolute favourite thing about this book was the climax where several threads were drawn in and neatly tied off.
I think we can expect a lot from this author in her future works, and I look forward to following her.

[Simmaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received the copy of this book by the author, Sophie Bowns, in exchange of an honest review.
This book revolves around the main character of the book, Jude Reed. The story starts at his death just after he commits suicide. I, personally liked the past and present description of the situations. It'll certainly help the readers to understand that how Jude Reed's childhood affected him and contributed to his current situation which led him to commit suicide. Important issues like depression, bullying, homosexuality and most importantly Juvenile Parkinsonism and to some extent domestic violence has been discussed. As a medical student I really appreciate the way Bowns has described the sufferings of Jude as a Parkinsonism patient as it is a condition about which not many people are aware and it is not much discussed either.
Even after death Jude Reed's ghost of past continues to haunt him. Enters Tiffany, a bright spirited chirpy young girl to whom life means everything even if it's life after death. She becomes that ray of light for Jude which he should've found when he was alive. She is the epitome of kindness and of being non judgemental. She proves that if you're kind and listen to what someone feels then a depressed person can also feel alive.
Even though such heavy issues have been discussed the author hasn't failed to keep up with the light mood. The most intriguing and interesting thing is who and what is Tiffany? From where has she come and how does she do things which she's able to ? All these questions will make you want to finish it in one night. The climax is undoubtedly the best.
I'm looking forward to read her other works too. Her writing style is easy, straight forward and very catchy. Give this book a shot and you won't be disappointed.

[Francene Stanley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather than leaving a few dots unconnected, this novel offers a quick and easy read and gives an intriguing theory of what happens to a person, namely Jude, after they commit suicide. Yet, for him, all human sensitivities remain—tiredness, thirst, cold, and the need for comfort.

The clever use of conversation, this author's strength, jerks the reader between the present and the past when he links with another ethereal person: Tiffany. In each scene, we learn more about the causing factors in Jude and Tiffany's life. But why are they together in limbo? And why can Tiffany shift from place to place? Is she an angel?

Here's a story about the ramifications to loved-ones after suicide, and about working out how to prevent the need of such action from occurring. Important issues are covered: bullying, same-sex couples, abuse, and homelessness. Kindness and help leads to their mutual support and understanding in this charming story that will touch your heart.

Okay, there are a few issues, like Jude's repetitive thought process. But, some people like my husband want everything spelled out. He's lost in a plot that doesn't make things clear and can't work out what happened unless it's specified. Also, the abrupt ending after earlier elaboration caused me to search blank pages. And yet, everything worked out perfectly. Despite those matters and few spelling mistakes, this novel has a lot to offer.

[Shellie Uchtman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really had a hard time following this book, it jumped back and forth many times and was very confusing for the most part. I understand that the author was going back and forth at different intervals of this man's life after he committed suicide, however, most of it did not make any sense. There were numerous spelling and grammar errors and the book really needs some serious editing. I was looking forward to reading this book and found myself very disappointed and really struggling to read through it.

[Yvette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Last summer I discovered the blog of the author, Sophie Bowns, and I was very excited to see that she published this novel. I very much enjoyed the plot and story line of this book; it reminded me a lot of a parable.

While the story is captivating, it is clear this is an early work of the author and I am excited to see where she will go and in what ways her writing will improve.

Recommended quick and easy read.

[Jenna Whittaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Defeatist is a novel set in the first person, present tense point of view. It reads more like a diary than a story, and is very dialogue heavy--this isn’t a bad thing, but a stylistic choice. This, and the point of view, suit the story as they allow the author to delve into the mind of the character, Jude.
The writing itself could use a little editing--the author is a lot lighter on commas than I would be, but there aren’t any spelling mistakes or actual grammatical errors.
After a short prologue, Jude wakes up standing outside his own body after a car crash--a deliberate suicide attempt. This is a very fascinating beginning to a novel, and the story only continues to fascinate as I read on. It quickly switches back to the past, before the accident, and the author shows why Jude did what he did, and the life he lived--and then how the people in his life survive after he passes.
I recommend checking this story out, it’s quite unique!

This book review was done as part of a book review swap, and I do not know the author personally in any way.

[Mina Harker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't generally read modern fantasy or first person narratives but this take on what happens after death is quite intriguing. It's a rather slow paced read as it's nearly all dialogue but that makes it a rather nice weekend escape. It's quite interesting how depression, physical disability, and abuse in both hetero and homosexual couples is depicted. I like that the abilities of Tiffany and Jude differ rather than remaining uniform. I think it makes them rely on each other more, especially in the beginning. This is definitely a story that focuses fairly exclusively on Jude (as it is told from his perspective). I hope there are perhaps squeals from the perspectives of other characters (Tiffany especially). I enjoyed the read and I'll have to check out more from Browns.

[Debbra Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Defeatist was an unpredictable and intriguing story that centres around the main character Jude. This story has almost a "Christmas Carol" aspect to it with the back and forth which was very interesting. Right from the beginning, the reader will be drawn into wanting to find out more about Jude and what led him to where he ends up. I wanted to keep on reading so I could discover what was going to happen at the end, from how it starts out you feel pretty certain it can have only one ending, however, Sophie Bowns manages to ease the story into a very unexpected turn of events. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I look forward to reading more from this fantastic new author.